NDP matches B.C. Liberal tax cut promise

B.C.’s small business income tax rate has been reduced from 2.5 per cent to two, and the change is being made retroactive to April 1, 2017.

Both the NDP and the B.C. Liberals promised the tax would be reduced that amount, with the B.C. Liberals promising to make it retroactive. In last spring’s election campaign, the NDP promised only to cut the tax by half a point, and to raise the large corporate income tax from 11 to 12 per cent at the start of the new fiscal year, April 1, 2018.

The NDP government is also carrying out the B.C. Liberal promise to remove provincial sales tax from business electricity bills. Half of that tax came off this fall and Finance Minister Carole James said the rest is to be removed in April 2019. PST is not charged on residential B.C. Hydro bills.

In her budget update in September, James announced the return of a high-income personal income tax bracket. Effective April 1, 2018, personal income tax goes up two per cent on income over $150,000 a year, restoring an increase put in place by the B.C. Liberals before the 2013 election and removed two years later.